NSSL Podcasts

Flash Flood Safety at Home

Mar 28, 2008

Text Transcript:

It's time yet again for another podcast of “That Weather Show,” brought to you by the NOAA Weather Partners in Norman, Oklahoma. I'm Rachel Forsyth.

When you hear the word ‘water', you may think of swimming pools or weekends at the lake. You might even think of a long rainy day. But that seemingly harmless rain water can become so dangerous that it kills more people each year than tornadoes, hurricanes and lightning. We call this a flash flood.

A flash flood is not something that takes days to happen, like a regular flood. Instead, it's a situation that can develop quickly. In some cases, it may not even be raining where you live. However, if the rain has fallen upstream, that means it will be heading to your area soon.

A flash flood watch means that flash flooding is possible in or near the watch area, while a flash flood warning means that flooding is occurring in the area or will be very soon.

If you live in a low-lying area or near a river, stream, or dam then you need to be prepared to evacuate quickly. If not, the rapidly rising flood waters could leave you trapped. The last place you want to be is on your roof, waiting for a boat or helicopter to take you to safety.